Sweet Defeat
by Pretenders
Summary: For a young Powerpuff, powers are a curse. Eliminating these powers would be a blessing to Bubbles, who wishes to make friends by being who she is, rather than what she is. But when she meets a Garden Club boy, and a powerful boy from her past, will she allow her heart to bloom? Or her heart to fly? Independent plot. COMPLETE but will be posted in Chapters. Part of Sweet Series.


_**Thank-you for noticing this story!  
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_**Dear readers, this is my attempt to write a story focused on the the romantic connection between Boomer and Bubbles. That being said, we all know how difficult it is to write a believable story centered on this pairing. This story is more than 30 pages, but I will only post sections. This section here is pages 1-16 (not all of page 16). This story is only one in a series of four stories to come. Each story will be as long as this. Why? Because I want to present the blue fans with stories that are realistic enough to make you believe they can happen in Craig's Powerpuff Girls world!**_

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**Sweet Defeat**

Dressing in baby blue fit her baby features perfectly. At the age of sixteen, she still held a baby face the Professor was thankful for. His daughters all began to grow just like he suspected of them. His gentle daughter, Bubbles, showed the least growth in physical features than her sisters. But she grew mentally just as fast. She let her blonde hair fall freely rather than tie it up in pig tails. The fashion she used to love was out grown when she attended middle school. Her first day was a success. Everyone adored his young daughter. He enjoyed sending them to school knowing not one student pushed them aside due to their indifference.

He stepped on the gas pedal at the change of the light. The car moved slowly down the road. In the back seat, the girls waited patiently for their father to arrive at the school. Buttercup and Blossom talked to themselves about things Bubbles tuned out. Her forehead marked the glass window. She leaned against it, her neutral expression hiding what she felt inside. The Professor would never know how right and wrong he was about the students at Poaky Oats High. It was difficult to be right and wrong about things but she realized it happened a lot with her father.

The students didn't ignore her. Rather, they pushed her. They did all they could to be friends with the trio. Her sisters didn't mind the popularity, and although she only dreamed of being a popular girl as a child, she also dreamed of being popular for who she was. The students made her popular for what she was. Her powers gave truth to her dreams in the most nightmarish way. They befriended the her only to show off. It was as if she was their trophy. Bubbles sighed at the memories. Girls she called friends turned out to be nothing more, but something less.

"Alright, girls!" the Professor stopped the car, turning to smile and wave at his daughters as they exited the car, "Have a wonderful day!"

"We sure will, dad!" Blossom and Buttercup ran off to meet their friends.

Bubbles looked on to see Blossom talking to Cindy, a girl who once waited for her. They shared secrets that Bubbles wish she never heard or said. The Professor wished her a good day at school before driving off. She walked toward the front doors, ignoring the whispers among girls. Some girls waved eagerly at her as she attempted a smile and a wave. She always succeeded in fooling everyone with fake bubbly smiles. Not even her sisters knew of a depression she was going through.

She reached a locker painted baby blue. Her fingers fumbled with the lock. When it opened, it seemed to become a black hole that sucked her into the world in the past. She dreamed it would be. The present still moved on, and Bubbles pushed her books inside, retrieving some books from deep in the dark locker. Shutting it, she held her books close to her while her backpack flopped behind her. Down the hall, girls gathered to gossip. This time, however, they formed a large crowd.

It caught her attention. She walked a bit faster, seeing Blossom in the crowd. Bubbles's short height made it a struggle to see what all the commotion was about. Almost everyone in high school stood like giants in front of Bubbles. Her height was no midget, but she was not as tall as everyone else. She gave up and turned to head to class.

Blossom reached for her sisters elbow, dragging her back in, "Did you see him?"

"See who?" Bubbles gripped her books.

"The new guy! He's a blonde!"

"Everyone's too tall,"

"Then let's push through!"

Bubbles stammered, "Wait, I'm not interested!"

She couldn't pull away from her sister's locked hold one her as she barged through the crowd. Bags hit her side while hair slapped her face. Blossom ran fast through an endless sea of admiring girls and jealous boys. Finally, they stopped. Bubbles breathed.

"There,"

"Blossom, I said I wasn—" just as Bubbles was about to stand her ground, she caught sight of the reason she was bruised.

He strolled out of the office and right out into the hall. He ignored everyone's existence with such ease, Bubbles almost felt hurt. He had blue eyes, blonde messy hair the suited him well, and he dressed like an educated young man. Something about this new boy definitely had reason to cause a crowd. Bubbles tore away from Blossom's grip to run back through the crowd.

She ran down an empty hall until she reached the stairs to the roof. She ran up the stairs. The door to the roof was open and she ran right through it, dropping her books without a worry. She ran up to the railing and climbed onto it, looking out to the building tops of Townsville. Questions flooded her mind. Her mind became ached with confusion. Everyone she met turned out to befriend her only for a gain. Being friends with any of the Powerpuff Girls made anyone instantly famous in school.

"Why can't I fall...?" she whispered.

She remembered how simple it was to fly through Townsville's skies without a care in the world. It became so deadly in just a matter of years. She wanted to hide the fact that she had powers. She wanted to extract those powers that made her special in everyone else's eyes. These powers haunted her. They made everything—everyone—in her life a lie. It was deadly to fly only to Bubbles. Powers were part of her past. She wanted to move on without them. She wanted a true life, a true friend. The sound of the school bell brought her to pick up her books to run to class.

The class gathered in their seats noisily. Cindy, a brunette with frizzy hair, smirked as Bubbles walked in. Her pink tear drop earrings dangled as she walked over to Bubbles's desk. She took a seat on top.

"So," Cindy played with her hair, "I heard there's another natural blonde in this school besides you,"

Bubbles felt as if she hissed the last part. She didn't reply. She placed her books on the space left on her desk, ignoring Cindy's presence. It aggravated Cindy. She continued to play with her hair as her friend, Princess, entered the class. The two met eyes and Cindy gestured for Princess to approach.

"There's another natural blonde, a boy," Cindy snickered.

"Another?" Princess looked over to Bubbles, snorting, "Oh, please! The only natural thing about her are her pathetic powers!"

Cindy snickered with Princess, "I bet," she jumped off her desk when the door opened. Cindy stiffened, then put on a flirtatious walk down the isle back to her desk.

The whole room was engulfed in unexpected silence. Every girl in the class could feel their heart rates increase. Bubbles ignored whoever it was, believing it to be the teacher. The door in front of the room opened to reveal the teacher. Now, she began to wonder who came in the room. Just as she was about to take a peek, the boy walked past her to take the vacant seat in front of her. The blonde messy locks made her swallow a quick breath. Bubbles felt her heart stop with surprise. She fumbled with her pencil to focus on her school duties rather than the boy in front of her.

He only looked good, but she began to believe he may be just like everyone else. He may just be as greedy for fame as Cindy and Princess. He may even be headed for Blossom instead. Every guy who attended this school couldn't deny that their first crush was Blossom Utonium. Perhaps he even resembled all other boys Bubbles met. Cocky, ruthless, and ignorant. They only wanted nights of romance, and Bubbles was sure he was no different. It hurt to think of befriending another normal being with trauma and scars left by the others. She wouldn't take the chance. This time, she wouldn't give anyone the benefit of the doubt.

When the bell rang, she got up with her books. He got up just she did, turning around to walk the opposite way. With one isle, Bubbles refused to wait for him to walk, and pushed right passed him, not glancing his way. She focused on getting to her next class. Cindy watched with red cheeks. Princess rolled her eyes.

"What an obvious move!" Cindy crossed her arms. When she noticed his gaze not tearing away from the way Bubbles left her face reddened with anger. Then, she watched as he followed out the same way. She huffed.

Bubbles reached her locker. Opening it, she reached in for new books. The new set weighed a few, but Bubbles didn't kick in her powers to assist her. The break was half and hour, yet she didn't want to rush out to grab her heavy books when the bell rang. She headed down the hall toward the roof once more. Walking up the stairs felt great, somewhat. The door was closed this time. Putting all books on one arm, she grabbed the handle to turn it. A huge gush of wind smacked her off her balance. She yelped as she lost hold of her books and wobbled at the edge of the step. She finally lost balance and fell back. She closed her eyes, prepared for the fall.

A fall she knew was never inevitable for her. She floated in the air, her books scattered the end of the stair case. Her powers had a mind of their own at times. Especially her flying abilities. It was instinct almost, a reaction she didn't even know she controlled. She wanted to feel what it felt fall. Regaining her feet to the floor, she walked down the stairs to pick up her books. Once she had them all, the school bell rang, and she sighed. Today she wouldn't be able to spend a lunch on the roof.

Blossom spun through the front door, greeting her father, "We're back!"

He walked into the room with kitchen mittens on, "How was your day?"

Blossom threw her bag on the sofa, "It was amazing! There's this new boy at the school,"

"Boy!" The Professor frowned. He suspected this growth as well, but he wished it came later. At age thirty. That is the perfect age for boys, he thought.

"Yes! And he's got the attention of all the girls in the school!"

"All the girls?" He opened the oven door slightly, peeking to see how his dish was cooking.

"Yes, and he's smart, too," Blossom took a seat on a stool, "We have four classes together, the rest are electives he took for fun," she giggled, "Fun! He takes more classes for fun, father!"

He smiled, "Sounds like he has something up his sleeve," the kitchen timer dang, "I don't approve,"

"Approve? But dad! He's so focused!"

"No, honey, now please call your sisters,"

Bubbles lay on her bed, staring into the book she held open. She only read the first page. It was an assignment she dreaded. A book report on a book so thick she thought it impossible to finish it and report it within two weeks. She wanted to ask Blossom for help, but could hear Blossom ramble on about the new guy at school. He didn't impress Bubbles. The way he ignored everyone wasn't someone she would enjoy, or even attempt, getting to know. She closed the book to look out her window. As a child, she would open the window and soar out into the sky. She bit back the urge to relive the freedom.

"Dinner is ready!"

Deciding to eat dinner was the next best option. At the table, Blossom rambled on about the new boy. She complimented him at every chance she got. Bubbles ate slowly, as Buttercup gobbled her food viciously. Blossom scolded her a few times to use manners. Her retort was there was no one around. Then the conversation joined Blossom's day with her friend's (fake friends). Bubbles listened to how they agreed to get the new guy, Sam, to talk to her. The only element that stuck was his name. That night, she went to sleep with his name on the tip of her tongue.

Her forehead leaned against the car window the next morning. The Professor looked at her through his review mirror. She sensed his gaze. Slowly, she tore away from the window, making her father smile. There was no reason to show sorrow in front of him. He was aging, and any worry may cause him harm. Bubbles headed to her locker as she did everyday. Then ran up the stairs and out to the roof top. Climbing onto the rails to stare off into the view.

"Hurry!" A voice rushed. Bubbles turned to see a group of kids wearing the same clothes.

She hurried off the rail. They ran toward a cloth hiding something underneath. Two boys controlled the eager students. One calmed the students by lowering his hands. He then grabbed a hold of the cloth, lifting it up graciously, revealing beautiful plants. They were flowers of red color. They were small, but the boy explained they still ended time to grow. When they grew, the students kept silent, they would change color and never wilt.

"Excuse me," Bubbles interrupted, so intrigued by the group, "do you belong to a club?"

"A Powerpuff!" One of the girls jumped in excitement.

"Powerpuff!" A boy eyed her.

The reaction made Bubbles wish she stayed on the rail. They reminded her of her old friends. Their excited faces gave her a popularity that haunted her. She began to turn around.

"Wait!" The boy who calmed the students down reached out to her, "What's your name?"

Bubbles turned back around, "You don't... You don't know my name?"

He smiled, a smile so genuine, Bubbles felt he may be the most honest boy she'd ever met, "No, I don't. I'm kind of a hermit!"

Bubbles giggled. She put a hand to her mouth, suppressing her giggles. The last time she laughed, she was soaring through the sky. The students walked away to view their flowers. He walked over to her, inviting her to view the flowers.

"This is the Garden Club's latest project,"

"You're in the Garden Club?" she marveled at the different flowers planted.

"Yeah, my Mom loved to garden when I was young," his smile lessened in height, "I don't live with her anymore, and the club reminds me of her,"

"What happened?" she stumbled, "If... If you don't mind me asking,"

"My father gained custody of me, so I moved here with him,"

Before she could ask his name, the school bell rang, making the students run off into the hallways. They got up, Bubbles being helped up. She thanked him shyly. The two stayed hand in hand, looking as if love struck them instantly. The second bell rang, reminding them where they were. Bubbles ran off to go to her class, her mind roaming on...

"His name!" Bubbles cried. She looked back to see if she would catch him heading to class. The hallway was empty, "He must have class on the other side," she said to herself, walking to her class. She also realized she didn't tell him her name.

She was prepared to be scolded for being late. Very late. She walked in in the middle of the lesson. Her teacher frowned. She kept at her lesson, eying Bubbles's desk. She read her gesture and headed over to take a seat. Once she sat, she began immediately to join in the study. But the seat in front of her was empty. As much as her mind roamed off on the Garden Club boy, it also became clouded with intrigue for the new boy. It's his looks, she thought, definitely his looks. The door opened to reveal just his looks. Cindy smiled.

"At least someone comes late with style!" Bubbles sank a bit in her chair.

The movement made him look her way. Bubbles was too focused on her book to catch his stare. He sat down in the desk in front of her. The teacher clapped her hands to capture the class. They put their pencils down to listen.

"I will be assigning you a partner project that will be due within one week," she felt her glasses at the tip of her nose and pushed them up, "don't think you're partners with whoever you please! I've assigned you each partners and that is the person in back of you."

Cindy and Princess shrieked with joy. The other students sighed, while Bubbles made no sound. The teacher took a seat at her desk, leaving the instruction for the project written on the board. It was a Science Project. Anything that could provide data was acceptable. Cindy whispered suggestively to Princess. The teacher poked her nose out of her book, eying Cindy.

"School appropriate, children," she said, diving back into her book.

Once the students gathered with their partners to discuss an experiment, Bubbles found herself doing nothing. Along with the blonde boy, Sam, who hadn't turned around. After ten minutes, she assumed he never would. If she was going to do the project alone, then she would make sure he received no credit. He sat at his desk doing nothing. She folded her arms across her chest. Being partnered up with none other than Sam already irritated her. He was more obnoxious than any other boy she'd met. And he didn't have to talk to her to win that title.

At the sound of the break bell, she ran to her locker to switch books, then ran up the stairs to head to the roof. She was so eager to arrive there, it took her by surprise. This eagerness was different than the eagerness to stand on top of the rail. This time, she wanted to stand ground to get to know the Garden Club boy. But he didn't show up.

Blossom twirled as she entered their home. Buttercup ran in after her and Bubbles merely walked to her room. Blossom seemed more cheerful than usual, as well as more quiet. Blush rose from her cheeks for no reason, and she would brush off the Professor's curiosity. Bubbles assumed a boy flirted with her.

When dinner finished, Bubbles was left to wash the dishes. Buttercup whined about how she washed them last time. Blossom gathered the dishes and put them in the sink. Bubbles turned the faucet on to begin while Blossom smiled and took a seat on the counter.

She looked to Bubbles, "Sam's a great guy, I don't get why dad doesn't approve,"

"Dad doesn't approve of anyone," she gave her a soft smile, "but if you like him, then he must be a great guy," the compliment was sour.

"Thanks, Bubbles," Blossom jumped down from the counter to head to her room.

Bubbles was left alone to wash dishes. Her mind roamed off into a day dream. On the school's roof stood the boy with no name. He turned at the sound of her footsteps to face her. His eyes were blue, a color Bubbles knew was perfect. His hair was a soft brown, and his teeth were pearly white. They sparkled and shined toward her as he smiled. It was the Garden Club boy. He held out his hand. She willingly placed her hand in his, and before she could enjoy the touch, he pulled her to run with him to the rail.

They both climbed on the railings. She was so focused on his gracious features, she hadn't realized they jumped. It came to her when she saw his figure growing smaller and smaller as he fell. She floated in the air in shock—in fear. She needed to fly to save him, but her powers... Her powers were her past. When his figure began to almost disappear, she was brought back to reality by the cup she was rinsing overfilling with water. She breathed heavily as she regained herself. That night ended with almost no sleep.

"Bubbles!"

Knocking came at her bedroom door.

"Bubbles, you're going to be late!"

Knocking now turned into banging, waking up Bubbles. She nearly fell off the edge of her bed.

"We're leaving, just fly to school!" Blossom ran down the hall.

Groaning, Bubbles threw the covers off to begin her day. Her foggy vision cleared when she glanced at her clock. It was as if everything Blossom said was locked out of her room as Bubbles panicked and rushed to get ready.

She ran out the door, running down the sidewalk to get to school in only ten minutes. The school was fifteen minutes away, but Bubbles refused to kick in her super abilities to get there on time. Then, she could see someone walking toward her. She ignored them, thinking them an ordinary person, until she saw golden blonde hair illuminate under the sunlight. His blue vest over a white sleeve shirt gave away his identity.

_Why is he walking away from school?_ She raised a brow. The distance between the two lessened as she walked toward school and he walked away. Soon, their paths met, and to her surprise, he stopped in front of her. Bubbles pushed passed him.

"Walking to school won't get you there on time," he didn't turn to talk to her, as Bubbles continued walking, "why don't you fly?"

She stopped walking. Silence. Her blonde locks fell over her shoulders as she lowered her head in thought. How foolish was he to even suggest she fly to school. Had he not known how much flying affected her? No, he barely knew her. There was no reason to expect he'd know what she felt knowing that flying was just as close to death to her. Her powers were her past. Knowing she would be late to school was a consequence she welcomed with open arms. Doing something the normal way was inviting to Bubbles. This made her gather herself and continue walking, ignoring Sam.

He finally turned to watch her once he heard her walk away. He scoffed and wrinkled his nose in disgust. He knew well what she was capable of, but she refused to take advantage of the gift she held. It made him sick to his stomach. He purposely skipped school since he wasn't feeling in the mood to go. That was a good enough reason to miss school for the young blonde boy. He stuffed his hands in his pocket.

The weather today was nice for a good walk. There were pure white clouds, clear blue skies, and no sign of any hot sun shine. There was also a cool breeze that swayed his blonde strands from side to side. He wore a white shirt with light blue jeans. He planned on going to the candy store to buy some candy, but he remembered he was broke. A smirk spread across his face as the candy store came into sight. No money meant no candy. Not to this blonde boy; it meant the complete opposite.

"Cindy, what do you think of bubble gum chewing for the project?" Princess spoke as she chewed her gum loudly, an annoying habit she did every time she was given a piece of gum.

Cindy batted her emerald eyes in thought. She, too, had a piece of gum she chewed. They reminded Bubbles of cows eating hay. For minutes, they pondered on what they were going to do their project on. Everything they thought of was easy to complete. Bubbles, however, had no one to talk to about their project. Her partner skipped school without being sick. Bubbles frowned, remembering his suggestion. Blossom bragged about how smart he was, but Bubbles now saw him as a complete idiot. He suggested flying as if it was the most normal thing in the world. Any one else who saw her walking to school would have become excited at the thought of seeing her fly. They would have even asked if she could carry them with her.

_Any one else, _Bubbles thought. Even if he didn't act like any one else that one time, didn't mean he was any different than any one else. He probably wasn't excited because he was skipping school, anyway. Of course he wouldn't want a fly ride with her. She was heading to school and he was heading home; two different paths. She slumped in her chair, grabbing her pencil to think up some ideas for the project. _That jerk isn't getting any credit._

"Hello, young man!" the candy shop owner waved, "We have a new candy out, today,"

The blonde didn't respond, making the owner feel a bit uneasy. He fumbled with what he would tell the boy next. He smiled as he walked over to a nearby counter. Returning to hold up three miniature candies that looked like three girls. One wore a green dress, another with a pink dress, and the last with a blue dress. The girls had hand painted smiles on them.

"These are our new Powerpuff Girls candy line, each made with a different flavor of chocolate," he pushed them into his view.

The blonde didn't take his stare away from the owner. The stare seemed almost wicked. It intimidated the owner until he couldn't take being nice any longer. He put the candies back on the counter. When he came back to face the boy, he placed a hand on the counter to lean toward the blonde.

"Are you here to start some trouble? I'm going to have to ask you to leave the store,"

The tip of Bubbles pencil touched the paper to write down a third idea for a project when the teacher's phone rang. She picked it up calmly. Just three seconds into the call, her calm attitude turned into panic as she slammed the phone down. She snapped her head to look at Bubbles. The look in her face told Bubbles to waste no time.

"It was the Mayor, a horrid accident at the Candy Shop!" she watched Bubbles jump out of her seat to run out the classroom. The rest of the class sat quietly, "No accident has happened in Townsville for more than ten years," she rubbed her temples, "I hope it's nothing serious,"

Bubbles ran down the hall at a normal speed. It was the fastest humans ran, and despite the fact there was an accident, Bubbles didn't want to use her powers. She could hear what sounded like a jet coming behind her. Two streaks of blue and pink whipped passed her at high speeds. Blossom shouted at her to do something she refused to do. Buttercup merely punched the air she flew in, preparing herself for a battle in over ten years. Almost thirty minutes passed when Bubbles finally reached the outside of the school. The person she saw coming up the stairs made her stop dead in her tracks. The two met with their eyes locked. He held a cold stare, while Bubbles held a rough one.

She finally tore away, running down the stairs. He stayed where he stood. Her sisters had just passed him, ignoring his presence as he strolled down the side walk toward the school. When he saw her run down the stairs, he narrowed his brows. The space between his brows wrinkled, as he watched her.

"Just fly," he spoke.

She didn't turn to give him attention, nor did she gather up her ability to fly. He watched her run at such an embarrassing speed. The school's windows started to open up as students poked their heads out to see if there were any large monsters. He scoffed, walking into the school. Blossom picked up a piece of rubble that lay where the candy shop once stood. The whole building was crumbled to the ground. Something powerful had to cause this, especially since the buildings next to the candy shop were almost untouched. No, they _were untouched_. Whatever caused this had incredible aim. Blossom surveyed the surroundings down to the last hint. She saw the owner of the candy shop being dragged out on a stretcher with a black sheet over his body.

Blossom looked to Buttercup, eyes fixed hard on her sister, "This was no accident,"

He opened a wrinkled brown bag to pop a round candy into his mouth. He sucked on it, then began to chew it. It was gum. The taste was delicious, but he wasn't one for gum. When he realized what he had done to the man in the candy shop, he quickly decided to cover up his tracks. The day was still early, and no one was out around the shop. The other businesses still hadn't opened, so in one quick charge of an attack, he aimed it at the candy shop. He made sure to put his candy in a brown bag and disguise it as a lunch bag.

With a sigh, he leaned against the lockers. The candy wasn't sweet enough to touch his current bitter situation. He was ordered to spy on the Powerpuff Girls by his creator. Mojo Jojo fled Townsville when a failed attempt to murder the Powerpuff Girls ended in a city wide search for the monkey. He took him and his brothers with him. Ten years later, he never gave up on the wish to defeat the Powerpuff Girls. With his absence, the girls only fought medicore monsters that were down in just a couple of hits. From this, Mojo suspected the girls would have gradually become weaker as less monsters invaded Townsville. He was sure they would stop their daily practices by order of the Professor, who he was sure would embrace having a normal life and a normal family. This made him order the three boys to go to Townsville to discover which one of the girls was the weakest.

His brothers refused to leave their girlfriends and the parties they attended constantly. Mojo gave up on persisting his brothers to go, coming to the last brother who refused at first, but later gave in. He had only been here for two days, and already he could tell which sister was the weakest. He had a deadline: only one week. For the life of him, he couldn't figure out why he agreed to come here in the first place. Townsville was a part of his past, and it should have stayed that way. His thirst for murder now started a problem Mojo told him to keep away from in the first place. With the smartest puff still the smartest puff, (he knew this from the classes she took) it would be a couple of days until she figured out who was responsible for the candy shop disaster.

As a child, he grew up with a father who was evil. The evil turned him even more sinister. He soon started having trouble controlling his anger and temptation to kill. The blonde boy ran a hand through his hair, brushing back some sweat from his forehead. He could remember all the people he murdered back at his home town. The thrill he got was almost an addiction. But he was in a place he couldn't quench his thirst. Under orders, he shouldn't have even thought of it. Any more slips and he would be in serious danger from both Mojo and the Powerpuff Girls. He cherished his powers and the ability they gave him to kill. He wouldn't give up his powers for anything, but for one week, he needed to.

He sighed once more. If he was going to confirm Bubbles was the weakest sister, he needed to use their science project as a way to enter her home and take notes on the other sisters. He stood up, throwing the bag into the trash can. Sweet Bubbles would need to begin flying if she didn't want to face defeat. He smirked. After one week, he would be rewarded with the killing of the Powerpuff Girls according to Mojo's plan. One by one.

She felt her lungs ache from the uneven breathing. She had barely passed her home by the way she was running. When she saw Blossom and Buttercup fly into her view, she gave up. Blossom landed in front of her with a frown. She was visibly upset at Bubbles current location. Buttercup had a frown as well. Blossom walked up to Bubbles who looked down to avoid eye contact.

"Why didn't you fly?" Blossom pressed.

"I thought I could make it if I ran,"

Buttercup cut in, "Are you crazy? The candy shop is all the way across town!"

"Buttercup," Blossom raised a hand to calm her sister, then turning to look back at Bubbles. She breathed low, making Bubbles look up to her, "What happened at the candy shop is serious. You should have flown there so you could see that it's been completely blown to the ground by someone who is very powerful,"

Bubbles went into shock. There had been nothing serious in Townsville for over ten years. Blossom already suspected it was someone possibly new who caused this, making Bubbles wonder who it could have been. They surely must have appeared out of nowhere, and if they planned to cause more mayhem, then they would have went on a spree of destroying Townsville the same day. They didn't.

"This is only one building, and I'm sure it's only one person," Blossom said, "and with one building down, there will be many more to come. They may even target civilians,"

"We have to start training again in the simulator," Buttercup said, heading inside to tell the Professor what has happened. Blossom followed her to accompany her, leaving Bubbles out alone.

Bubbles could feel tears coming to her eyes. If Townsville was in danger, then it needed the Powerpuff Girls to protect it. That meant she needed to use her powers to protect Townsville. Bubbles almost felt selfish at the anger, hurt, and betrayal that consumed her. Her own home wanted her to change back into something she was trying so hard to forget. She didn't want to use her powers. Most of all, she didn't want to reveal herself to the Garden Club boy for who everyone saw her to be. She wanted to let him get to know her for everything she wanted someone to know her for. That night would be another night with hardly any sleep. This time, she made sure to let the tears fall.

The next day started off the same as they always did. Getting ready for school, leaning a forehead against the window making sure to not let the Professor see, and rushing up to the school's roof to stand on the railing. Her blue eyes stared off into Townsville's city sight. Tears clouded her vision. She could hear footsteps coming up the stairs, and although she hoped it was the Garden Club boy, she kept from turning around to find out. Whoever it was came closer to her, then came to a complete stop. She stood on top of the rail for several minutes. The school bell should have rang by now, and she started to wonder if she didn't hear it.

"We meet again," the boy took a step forward, "but it looks like you have a death wish of some sort,"

The sound of his voice made Bubbles smile. She stepped off the railing, turning to face the boy she wished she knew the name of. His name would have escaped her lips if she knew. He smiled back at her, gesturing her to follow him. They spent what seemed like hours talking among each other. Bubbles shared so much about her that she could swear she told him all her secrets. He did the same. He told her about his mother and how beautiful she was. She was heading home from work one day when a driver crashed into her car. He never got to say good bye, and Bubbles could feel her heart ache for his loss.

Before she could hug him, the school bell rang. Suddenly, Bubbles witnessed his face beginning to almost melt. The sight made her take a step back. He tried talking to her, but all that came out was sloppy. It was as if he wasn't even speaking correctly. His hands began to melt along with the roof of the school. Bubbles began to panic, running away from the melting world around her. The roof beneath her began to disappear. She grabbed hold of the only railing that hadn't melted. Climbing on top, she looked behind her to find the boy running to catch up to her. Soon, the railing she stood on began to melt. She could feel her feet begin to slip off, and before she could reach out to the boy, the railing completely melted.

Falling. She was _falling_. The sky above her grew larger in size. Poaky Oats High didn't seem to make her feel as if she was falling. She couldn't see the windows passing her by, or feel the air trying to pick her up. Looking to her side, she saw everything completely the same. Nothing was melted. Everything was solid. Everything was the way it should be. Even her floating abilities. She simply slipped off the railing, and her natural reactions kicked in. The boy never came up the stairs. Everything was a day dream, and the sound of the real school bell confirmed that.

Below her, the blonde boy stared up at her. He stared hard at her floating figure. He didn't look anywhere else. Thoughts within his mind started making assumptions to answer why she just floated there. He felt his feet begin to lift up from the cement ever so slowly. When he felt weightless, he slowly calmed himself down. Landing back on the ground, he looked down at his feet. There was no students out to see him levitate. With one more look up to an empty sky, he entered the school before he was late.

Cindy ran into her classroom, setting eyes on a boy sitting at the corner of the class. She pulled the ends of her tight shirt down to fix the wrinkles. She readily walked over to him, taking a seat on top of his desk. The notion made his desk lean to one side, catching his attention. He looked at her with a smile, making Cindy smile back. A part of her wanted to flirt selfishly with him, while the other part remembered she needed to stick to the plan she and Princess devilishly created.

"Sam!" She laughed, "What are your plans after school?"

Sam chuckled, "I was planning on checking on the plants on the roof, the others are really looking forward to their growth,"

"How about you let them grow by themselves for a day? Me, Princess and," Cindy's smile grew, innocently looking around, "_Blossom _are going to the Ice Cream Parlor after school and wanted to know if you'd come with?"

"Ice Cream Parlor? Didn't it get blown up?"

"That was the candy shop," Cindy giggled, "So what do you say?"

"Well, I was kind of hoping to meet someone else after school," Sam stared out the window, "I wanted to ask her what her name was,"

"Maybe I know her name. What does she look like?"

"She has perfect light skin, light blue eyes, and the lightest shade of blonde hair I've ever seen," Sam felt a blush rise to his cheeks, while Cindy stared at him in disgust.

"Bubbles?" Cindy spat out her name, but her devilish mind immediately thought of a sinister plan, "Oh, _Bubbles! _She's coming to the parlor, too,"

Bubbles watched the back of his blonde hair as she tapped her eraser on her paper. Half the time passed without one word, or idea out of his mouth. He still didn't turn around to at least start a conversation with her. Anyone else would have been willing to do a project with her at least, they would have even suggested they do it themselves if they were able to have a joy ride through the skies. She sighed loudly, annoyed with the silent partnership. Just before the bell rang, he turned his head to the side. Bubbles caught it.

"I thought we'd do the project at your house,"

The bell rang right when Bubbles had the chance to reply. She stared wide eyed at him as he left the class like nothing. _Is he embarrassed to talk to me? _Bubbles gave a pout at the thought of someone purposely avoiding her. She didn't bite. She would have liked to talk to him. Possibly be friends with him. Anyone else would have been nice enough to make this project anything but a silent treatment.

_Oh, _Bubbles thought with a frown, _Anyone else. _Everything he did was different. She couldn't deny it, then she would be lying to herself. She bit her lip. It was nothing but a front. He was just any other stubborn high school boy who was paired up with a girl. Maybe he never talked to a girl before and was just nervous. Or maybe he just didn't want to talk to _her_. At first, Bubbles thought him to be a jerk. Now, she thought him to be a jerk and completely full of himself. Just as she was about to think back to her reason she should act the same, the one girl who scarred her from making friends tapped her on the shoulder. Bubbles turned to face a forced kind smile.

"Come to the Ice Cream Parlor after school, 'kay?" Cindy headed for the door.

Princess patted her shoulder, "Don't worry, your sister will be there,"

Cindy poked her head back in the classroom, "And someone who really wants to know your name,"

Bubbles instantly blushed. _Could it be...? _That day, Bubbles rushed to Buttercup's last class to hopefully find out if she was the one going to the Ice Cream Parlor. Half way to her class, Bubbles realized Buttercup wouldn't go anywhere with Princess. She scolded herself for not remembering Cindy was Blossom's new best friend. Her mind was so jumpy she didn't think of Cindy at all. She rushed to Blossom's last class. She saw her walking out last and closing the door behind her. Bubbles ran up to her. Blossom saw Bubbles running up to her just as she was about to head the other way. She laughed seeing Bubbles out of breath by the time they met.

"You just caught me, I was about to head out with the girls," Blossom started walking the other way.

Bubbles walked beside her, "I'm heading there, too,"

Blossom looked at her with surprise at first, then with a warm smile, "I didn't know you and Cindy were friends, again. I'm glad you're coming along,"

Bubbles watched Blossom from the corner of her eye getting her mirror out to fix her hair as they walked, "No, I would never be her friend, again, but I'm not going for her, or with her,"

"Then hor who?" Blossom said as she put her lipstick on, her lips open.

"I don't know his name yet, but we met on the roof top,"

She smacked her lips together, "So Cindy's helping you get to know him?"

Bubbles blushed, then angrily looked at Blossom, "I wouldn't accept her help in a million years!"

"Well, I'm going there to meet Sam,"

The sound of his name made Bubbles stop in her tracks. Blossom continued to walk until she noticed she was walking alone. She called out to Bubbles, who seemed to be lost in thought. She walked up to Bubbles, placing a hand on her shoulder. Bubbles knocked out of her thoughts at the touch.

"Sorry, I just thought I left something in the classroom,"

"Did you?" Blossom asked.

"No, but why would you want to talk to Sam? He's such a jerk," Bubbles could feel herself becoming angry at the thought of Cindy inviting her where that jerk was.

"_Jerk!_" Blossom laughed out, "Sam is anything _but _a jerk,"

"What do you mean? He's always ignoring me," the reality made Bubbles's eyes soften.

"Just the other night you said he must be a great guy," Blossom waved at Cindy as they neared the Ice Cream Parlor, "I don't believe that, are you sure you're talking about Sam?"

Bubbles looked to Blossom as she waved, "Of course I am!" She looked to Cindy, Princess, and Sam, "We're partners in a—"

"Sam!" Blossom ran up to Sam, throwing her arms around him.

Cindy smirked at Bubbles. Princess laughed. The Garden Club boy who Bubbles had been awe struck over hugged Blossom as Bubbles watched with hurt. None of it made sense. Bubbles didn't understand how Cindy knew anything about her feelings for Sam. She never saw them talk, and she never saw them meet. Bubbles wanted him to melt, she wanted everyone to melt.

"Bubbles!" Sam waved to her, a large smile heading her way.

Bubbles shook her head. He even knew her name. Sam, the handsome boy Bubbles swore she was in love with since the moment she met, knew her name. She never told him her name. She glanced over at Cindy to see her in a silent fit of laughter as she muted her surroundings. Sam, a boy she thought was blonde, arrogant, and a jerk, was exactly what Blossom told her he was: anything _but_ a jerk. He was a boy who swept Bubbles off her feet, yet at the same time, broke her heart just by the sound of her name escaping his lips. Then, Bubbles began to run away, hearing Sam call her name after her. He may have not been truly different as Bubbles thought him to be.

The sun started to set when Bubbles reached her home. She was out of breath, sobbing and running at the same time made her cough. Running up to her front door, she reached for the door knob, but bumped into something warm. She rubbed her eyes to see blue cotton in front of her. She gasped as she looked up to see blue eyes looking down. The jerk stood at her door, a frown as wide as the street on his lips. He stared back at her, almost making Bubbles grow in anger at his presence before her.

She blinked, her hands at her sides turning into fists, "Please go away,"

"We have a project to do,"

Her knuckles began to turn white, "Just go away, please,"

"I'm here for the—"

"I said go away!" A hand filled with super strength reached out to grip the blue cotton shirt, as Bubbles threw him away from the door toward the street. The impact made a crater in the middle of the road. Once Bubbles took in the consequence of her actions, she ran into her home. Running up the stairs, she locked herself in her bedroom, panting heavily.

She could hear the Professor asking what was going on, as well as people mumbling outside. Bubbles turned to shut her window when she fell back on her bottom at the sight of the blonde boy standing in her room. He looked untouched. He proceeded toward her, a look spread on his face that made Bubbles wonder how he managed to control a face to look as normal as it had at school. He stood above her, and in one swift movement, he closed his hand around her neck. The pressure made Bubbles choke out, her coughing increasing. She kicked her feet up, scratching at his arm as if she was a human stuck in a choke hold.

He watched her pathetically fight against him. His thoughts made him more furious by the minute. She was capable, and he had just witnessed it first hand, of ripping him off her. Yet here she was, almost willingly letting him choke her. He lowered his lips to her ear.

"Why don't you fight?"

She closed her eyes.

"Why don't you fight?" He licked his lips, closing his hand around her neck tighter.

Someone ran up the stairs, calling out Bubbles's name. It was Buttercup, who now banged on her door, shouting for her to come out.

He closed his hand tighter, and with one final breath, "Why don't you _fly_?" he let her go.

Buttercup backed up to the wall to run up to the door to kick it down. The door came down with what felt like a tap of her foot to Buttercup. Behind the door lay Bubbles with tears coming out of her eyes, as she moved to her side to cough uncontrollably. Buttercup helped her up, as Blossom rushed into the room. The sight left her gaping at the marks left on Bubbles's neck. Buttercup faced Blossom who nodded once at her. Blossom left to find the Professor, fearing the worst for not only Townsville, but for the Powerpuff Girls.

Wind touched his face vigorously. He sped through the skies, retreating from Bubbles's bedroom before the door could open. He was quick enough to see his dark blue streak wasn't spotted by her sister. Mentally, he scolded himself for his lack of control. The moment he saw her weak figure, his thirst to do something dark to her overtook him. Physically, he felt satisfied. The satisfaction was almost overwhelming him. In just a couple of days, the absence of torture made him feel dead inside. Although he was satisfied, he knew it only made things worse. Mojo warned him of the leader of the Powerpuff Girls before sending him away.

Mojo spoke to him without flinching. Having experienced her intelligence over him for years when he lived in Townsville, he had no doubt she didn't grow to become dumb. He warned him to do no harm to anything, or anyone. Even if he craved dishing out evil, he couldn't do so in Townsville. Especially to any Powerpuff while he surveyed them. Now, he had disobeyed him, and was only leaving a pathway leading to his identity for Blossom to figure out. He landed on a nearby abandoned building, being careful of his actions and thinking up a plan to cover his tracks.

As he thought of ways to stay hidden, Blossom thought of ways to find him, "Bubbles, get down here!"

Buttercup stopped patting ice over her neck. Bubbles winced as she ran fingers over the bruised skin. Buttercup scolded her, following her down to Blossom. Bubbles was met with the Professor sipping coffee, wearing his reading glasses as he read through files. Blossom gestured her to sit down in the vacant chair. She took a seat, weary of what was beginning to happen.

Blossom sighed, "Dad is going through old files of all the major enemies we fought,"

The Professor looked up for a second, "We can cross out Fuzzy Lumpkins," he opened another file.

Bubbles began to sweat, waiting for the question Blossom was sure to ask her. The way she felt was eating her alive. Yes, Bubbles now knew whoever the blonde boy was, he was very powerful. She had his name of the tip of her tongue. But if she said anything to Blossom, she would immediately relate him to the candy shop incident. Bubbles didn't see it unreasonable to confirm he was the one who killed the owner, but she also didn't want to tell Blossom. If she did, Blossom would realize just how strong he was, and assemble she and Buttercup to defeat him. That meant Bubbles would need her powers. She looked down to her hands, the events of earlier playing through her mind. Trying to forget she had powers was turning her into someone she didn't know.

"Bubbles, you have to tell us who did this to you," her pink eyes now stared into her light blue ones.

"It was—" there was only one reason to lie, and Bubbles swore to herself she'd use her powers if her lie brought danger upon her family, "I didn't see who it was," but for now, she wanted nothing to do with her powers. _Nothing_.

"They are very good at hiding their identity," the Professor took a sip of coffee, rubbing his chin.

"Too good," Blossom sighed, "but we'll find him and protect Townsville,"

"Yes, that's the most important thing besides kicking evil ass," Buttercup came, punching the air as the Professor glared at her use of profanity. Blossom laughed, the Professor soon joining in, as Bubbles kept silent, a feeling in her stomach that twisted her heart.

The night brought with it another dream that made Bubbles sweat. Her forehead became drenched as she ran away from something that flew above her. It called out her name, taunting her to fight to save herself. She only ran—she could only run. No matter how hard she tried to jump off the ground to take flight, the power left her. She was stuck running away from something coming closer to her every second. A boy came running from a nearby alley way up the street she ran down. He waved for Bubbles to hurry into the alley way. He gave off a safe impression, and she followed him into the dark of the alley.

They took cover in an unlocked room, as she saw many others cowering in fear inside. He waved her over to hide away from the windows. Bubbles followed him, hiding behind a turned over table. The room was as silent as death. Bubbles wanted to know who the boy was who lead her into the room; the dark didn't let her see clearly who it was. People inside shushed others who weeped. Cowering in fear made Bubbles angry. They should be out there defending themselves, not in a room cornered.

"Why aren't any of you fighting back?" Bubbles stood up.

The boy who lead her into the alley looked up at her, making Bubbles face him. The expression that painted his face was an expression Bubbles could feel. Goosebumps arose all over her body began to rise. The fear he held was greater than any fear Bubbles ever felt. Then, with a quick whisper, Bubbles awoke from her dream.

She panted heavily, the sun shine shinning in her room. She reached up to touch her neck, feeling no pain rise. Her tank top was wet, along with her bed sheets. She got up to take a quick shower before school. In the mirror, she saw her neck was clear of any bruises. Her body was quick to heal, and Bubbles almost forgot it was capable of healing within hours. Stepping in the shower, the only thing she knew wouldn't disappear was the powerful blonde boy.

"_Boomer,_" she whispered to herself, remembering what the boy in her dream told her.

"_Because the Powerpuff Girls are dead,"_

* * *

**_I sincerely hope you enjoyed the story so far. Please leave me review if you catch any grammar mistakes, or any mistakes in general. This whole section has been proof read TWICE, but that doesn't mean I missed things. Also, please keep this story on your alert to find out when I upload the next chapter/section!  
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**_This story is inspired by the song, "Overrated" by Thriving Ivory. I listened to many more, but I will save those songs as I am inspired by them far more to write another story for Boomer and Bubbles.  
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**_Have a WONDERFUL day!_**


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